Plantronics has today revealed its brand new gaming headset called the RIG. And while it may seem like another headset, the RIG is designed to be able to mix in game audio with your phone calls so that you can still play while on a phone call; and can be used as an everyday pair of headphones to listen to music.
The RIG comes with a stereo mixer, which allows you to connect the headphones, the console or gaming PC, and your smartphone – via line-in. Once you are in a call, or listening to music on your smartphone, the mixer will blend it with the game music; and you can even switch between your phone call to your game chat with the switch at the centre of the mixer. It does also include three EQ presets – ‘Pure’ (or normal), ‘Intensify’ and ‘Seismic’.
It can also be used as everyday headphones as you can remove the boom microphone and replace it with an inline mic with music controls. They include “professional-grade” 40mm speaker drivers, and they actually sound pretty darn good – based on the limited time I got to play with them (I’ve tried them at PAX Australia but was under NDA until today).
The RIG is comfortable around the ears, which is great if you plan to wear the headphones for an extended period of time. The build quality is pretty good as well – something that you don’t expect from headphones on the cheaper end (under $200). It is also incredibly light and not as bulky as the gaming headsets that Plantronics have built in the past, so you can easily stash this in your bag and take it out when you need it.
Plantronics is releasing the RIG in Australia, but local pricing and availability have not been announced yet. In the US, it will be at US$129 – so expect it to be possibly AU$150 – and will launch this autumn (or spring, our time).
You can see the gallery below.
